High intensity solar energy converter

ABSTRACT

A photovoltaic energy converter for converting incident radiant energy, such as solar energy, to electrical energy. The converter comprises a cell formed from a plurality of integrally interconnected p-n junction-containing semiconductor wafers. The wafers are stacked end-to-end in the cell so that the respective junctions in each wafer are parallel to each other. The efficiency and performance of the cell is improved, particularly upon exposure to concentrated sunlight, by imposing various conditions on the cell fabrication and design. Improvements result, for example, by selecting a high resistivity semiconductor as the starting material in the fabrication of the cell, controlling the diffusion process to optimize the junction gradient and minimize the thickness of the base region in each wafer, orienting the wafers in the cell so that they are illuminated at a small angle relative to the plane of the respective junctions therein, and treating the exposed surfaces of the wafer to reduce reflectivity and surface recombination velocities.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to photovoltaic energy converters and, moreparticularly, to a multiple-junction photovoltaic cell for convertingsolar energy to electrical energy and to a method of fabricating thesame.

Apparatus for converting solar energy to other forms of useful energy,such as electrical energy, are presently the subject of considerableresearch. This interest is due largely to the rapidly rising costs ofenergy derived from conventional resources, such as oil and natural gas,and to a concern for conserving existing supplies of these resources inthe wake of rapidly increasing demands for their use.

Photovoltaic devices have been considered as one means of convertingsolar energy directly to electrical energy. Such devices are typicallyformed from a semiconductive material, such as silicon or germanium,which is inhomogeneously doped with acceptor and donor impurities toform a p-n junction. Upon exposure to electromagnetic radiation, pairsof mobile charge carriers of opposite polarity, i.e., electrons andholes, are generated. These pairs normally recombine in a relativelyshort time. The presence of the junction, however, creates a potentialgradient which keeps the carrier pairs separated sufficiently long for anet voltage to appear across the junction. This voltage can thus beutilized in an electrical load connected across the junction.

The photovoltaic devices presently known have relatively low energyconversion efficiencies (i.e., typically about 10 percent). When oneconsiders that the intensity of the sun's radiation at the surface ofthe earth is only of the order of 1,000 watts per square meter, it canbe appreciated that terrestrial power generating systems would requirerelatively large areas of photovoltaic devices to generate even moderateamounts of electrical power. Obviously, such systems would be expensiveto fabricate, install and maintain.

It has been proposed to use sunlight concentrators in conjunction withphotovoltaic devices to reduce the area of such devices required togenerate a given amount of electrical power. Lens systems are availablewhich can be used with the photovoltaic cell to concentrate theintensity of the sun's radiation at the surface of the earth by a factorof 1000 or more. However, it is well known that conventionalphotovoltaic cells operate even less efficiently under concentratedsunlight. For example, the series resistance of a conventional siliconphotovoltaic cell, which is illuminated along a direction perpendicularto the plane of its p-n junction, is typically orders of magnitude toolarge for the cell to operate efficiently from an electrical standpointat an illuminated intensity of 100 watts per square centimeter (i.e.terrestrial sunlight concentration by a factor of 1000). Any benefitsresulting from increased sunlight concentration have thus been largelyoffset by low electrical power outputs due to the large seriesresistance of the cells.

Multiple junction, edge-illuminated photovoltaic cells have beensuggested as one possible solution to the high-intensity illuminationproblem suffered by conventional photovoltaic cells. A semiconductordiode in the multiple-junction, edge-illuminated photovoltaic cell isdisposed so that it is illuminated along a direction parallel to theplane of its p-n junction rather than perpendicular to its p-n junction,as in the case of the conventional cell. Several semiconductor diodescan thus be stacked end-to-end in a single cell and electricallyconnected in series.

Some recent experimental studies have indicated that the seriesresistance of the multiple-junction cell is significantly lower thanthat of the comparable conventional cell, and actually decreases withincreasing illumination intensities. This has suggested that themultiple-junction cell may be more desirable as a solar energy converterthan the conventional cell. Known prior studies of the multiple-junctioncells have nevertheless been cursory. If the multiple-junction cell isto be recognized as a viable candidate for use in solar energyconversion systems, detailed, practical information concerning thefabrication and structure of such cells for this purpose is required.

It is, therefore, a general object of this invention to provide animproved photovoltaic energy converter.

Another object of the invention is to provide a multiple junctionphotovoltaic cell structured and designed for use under high intensityillumination.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a photovoltaic cellof the type described which is structured and designed for efficientlyconverting concentrated solar energy to electrical energy.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a method offabricating photovoltaic cells of the type described.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly, our invention is concerned with the fabrication and design ofphotovoltaic energy converters. Like the multiple junction, edgeilluminated photovoltaic cell discussed above, a photovoltaic energyconverter embodied according to our invention comprises one or morecells, each of which includes a plurality of semiconductor diodesstacked end-to-end and electrically connected in series. A cell embodiedaccording to our invention, however, incorporates some or all of thebelow-described characteristics which maximize the conversion efficiencyof the cell, particularly under high intensity applications, such asexposure to concentrated sunlight.

According to one aspect of our invention, the conversion efficiency ofour photovoltaic cell is increased by maximizing the lifetime ofphotogenerated carriers in the cell. This is accomplished by choosing arelatively defect-free semiconductor as the starting material in thefabrication of the cell so that the density of possible recombinationcenters in the cell is minimized. Carrier lifetimes are furtherincreased by choosing the resistivity of the starting semiconductormaterial to be relatively high. This is possible because the seriesresistance of each diode in our cell remains low despite the use of thehigh resistivity starting material as a result of conductivitymodulation at high illumination intensities. Float-zone-grown siliconcrystals with bulk resistivities in the range of 200 to 400ohm-centimeters are preferred.

According to another aspect of our invention, the conversion efficiencyof our photovoltaic cell is increased by optimizing the junctiongradient in each diode. The concentration gradient, a, in the vicinityof the junction in each diode is selected to be relatively low andpreferably of the order of 10⁴ impurities per cubic centimeter permicron or less. A junction gradient of this type increasesphotogenerated carrier lifetimes and improves the long wavelength, i.e.infrared, response of the cell. The junction gradient is controlled bycontrolling the diode fabrication process. If, for example, a diffusionprocess is used to form the junction, the temperature and time ofdiffusion are selected to produce a deep and gradual diffusion profile.For silicon starting materials with thicknesses in the range of about5-10 mils, diffusion temperatures of about 1200° - 1300° Centigrade anddiffusion times in the range of about 10 to 50 hours are preferred.

According to still another aspect of our invention, the conversionefficiency of our photovoltaic cell is increased by keeping thethickness of the base region in each diode as small as possible, andalways less than one diffusion length for a minority charge carrier inthat region. Reducing the thickness of the base region in each diodereduces the series resistance of the diode and thus improves theelectrical power output from the diode. A base region thickness lessthan one diffusion length is also important to minimize photogeneratedcarrier recombination in the base region. With diffused diodes, thethickness of the base region is determined by the overall thickness ofthe diode and the respective depths of the diffused regions therein.

According to yet another aspect of our invention, the conversionefficiency of our photovoltaic cell is further increased by cutting theindividual diodes of the cell so that they are illuminated at a smallangle relative to the plane of the p-n junctions therein. This ensuresthat a maximum junction area is exposed to the incident radiation and atthe same time gives rise to a diode geometry which allows increasedspreading of the junction depletion layer at and below the exposedsurface, thus minimizing the likelihood of voltage saturation at highillumination intensities. This geometry thus allows the use of a thinnerbase region. The angle is selected so that the lower doped base regionin each diode has a larger surface area exposed to the radiation thanthe more heavily doped region on the opposite side of the junction.Preferably, the inclination is in the range of 5° to 20° relative to thedirection of illumination.

According to yet another aspect of our invention, the conversionefficiency of our photovoltaic cell is also increased by treating theexposed surface of the cell to reduce its reflectivity to the incidentradiation. This is accomplished by texturizing the exposed surface in amanner which makes it more diffuse but does not increase surfacerecombination velocities. One such useful technique is to abrade theexposed surface ultrasonically so as to form a matrix of rounded surfacepyramids. To further reduce reflectivity, the exposed surface may thenbe coated with a transparent anti-relection coating of index ofrefraction intermediate that of the semiconductor and air.

Other conditions may be imposed to further improve the conversionefficiency of a photovoltaic cell embodying our invention. For example,subsequent to the ultrasonic surface etch discussed above, a "slow" etchprocess may be used on the exposed surface of the cell which renders thesurface hydrophobic. This further reduces surface recombinationvelocities and thus improves collection efficiencies within the cell.Also, the radiant energy that is incident on the cell may be filtered toremove those wavelengths which contribute relatively little to theoutput of the cell or which cause excessive heating in the cell.Preferably, all wavelengths are filtered out except those in the rangeof about 5000 to 10,000 Angstroms. The filtering is illustrativelyaccomplished using an appropriately colored or coated plano-convex lensconcentrator with the cell.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other features and advantages of the invention will bebetter understood from the following detailed description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view of a photovoltaic cell embodied in accordance withthe invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged view showing further details of one of thesemiconductor diodes in the photovoltaic cell of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3, comprising FIGS. 3A through 3H, illustrate various stages in thefabrication of the photovoltaic cell shown in FIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS

1. Photovoltaic Cell Structure

FIG. 1 illustrates a photovoltaic cell embodied according to ourinvention. The cell comprises a plurality of semiconductor diodes 10which may be of silicon into which impurities are diffused to form a p-njunction 10A. The plane of the junction 10A in each diode 10 is parallelto the end faces of the diode. The diodes 10 are stacked end-to-end andfused together with a plurality of electrically conductive interfacelayers 12 interposed between successive diodes 10. Electricallyconductive contact layers 14 are formed on the end surfaces of each ofthe two end diodes 10 in the cell. Electrical leads 16 attach to each ofthe contact layers 14.

The cell is coated with a protective outer coating 18 which is alsotransparent to radiant energy. The cell is fixed to a substrate 22 by alayer of adhesive 24. The substrate 22 may in turn be mounted on asuitable heat sink (not shown).

The arrows 26 in FIG. 1 indicate the direction of incidence of theradiant energy to be converted by the cell, which is illustrativelysolar energy. A multiple plano-convex lens 28 (i.e., essentially flat onthe cell side and convex on the opposite side over each junction) isplaced on the top surface of the cell to concentrate and direct theradiant energy to the regions of the junction 10A in each diode 10.

In operation, the radiant energy absorbed within each diode 10 generateselectron and hole pairs therein. The junction 10A establishes apotential gradient within the diode 10 which urges the electrons tocollect on one side of the junction 10A and the holes to collect on theopposite side of the junction. Provided the lifetimes of thephotogenerated carriers are sufficiently long, a net voltage will appearacross the junction 10A in each diode 10. As the individual diodes inthe cell are electrically connected in series, the cell voltage acrossthe leads 16 is the sum of the individual voltages generated by thediodes 10. The cell voltage is thus available for electrical utilizationin a load. Typically, a plurality of cells like the cell shown in FIG. 1are interconnected in series and/or parallel to provide an electricaloutput of the desired characteristics.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged illustration of one of the diodes 10 shown in thecell of FIG. 1. Each diode 10 is illustratively fabricated from a waferof n-type silicon. Acceptor impurities are diffused into one end face 32of the wafer to create a p-type conductivity region. As is known, thejunction 10A is defined as the plane in which the concentration ofp-type impurities is equal to the concentration of n-type impurities.Donor impurities are illustratively diffused into the opposite end face34 of the wafer to create an n⁺ region. The n⁺ region provides a lowresistivity interface to adjacent diodes 10 and is defined as the regionof the diode 10 to the left of the plane represented by the dashed line36. The region between the junction 10A and line 36 is the base regionof the diode 10. The dashed-dotted lines 38 and 40 represent theboundaries of the junction depletion spread w_(p) and w_(n),respectively, under maximum open circuit voltage, and will be discussedin more detail below.

2. Fabrication and Design Conditions

As noted, we have found that the efficiency of a photovoltaic cell ofthe type illustrated in FIG. 1 can be increased by imposing certainconditions on the fabrication and design of the cell. These conditions,and a brief explanation of the reasons therefor, are presented below.

A. Semiconductor Quality

The starting material in the fabrication of the cell is selected to be asemiconductor crystal which is essentially free of defects, such asdislocations, stacking faults and metal impurities. This has the effectof minimizing the density of recombination centers in the cell and thusmaximizing the lifetime of photogenerated carriers therein. For thispurpose, float-zone crystal growth techniques of the type described byKeck, Green and Polk in Volume 24 of the Journal of Applied Physics,page 1479 (December 1953) are preferred over other known growthtechniques for fabrication of the starting semiconductor. Preferably,the defect density of the starting semiconductor is less than about 1000E.P. (etch pits) per square centimeter.

B. Semiconductor Resistivity

The starting semiconductor material is also selected to have arelatively high resistivity, preferably in the range of about 200 to 400ohm-centimeters. This also increases the lifetime of photogeneratedcarriers in the cell. In conventional photovoltaic cells, theresistivity of the starting material is usually selected to berelatively low, e.g. about 20 ohm-centimeters or less, since, in thosecells, it is the major contributing factor to the series resistance ofthe cell. In photovoltaic cells embodied according to our invention,however, the resistivity of the starting material does not contributesignificantly to the series resistance of the cell, particularly at highillumination intensities. This is believed to result from a conductivitymodulation in the diodes of the cell due to the presence of large excessphotogenerated carrier concentrations at high illumination intensities.

C. Junction Gradient

The concentration gradient, a, in the vicinity of the junction in eachdiode of the cell is selected to be relatively low and preferably of theorder of 10⁴ impurities per cubic centimeter per micron or less. Inprior photovoltaic cells, the junction concentration gradients, a, aretypically orders of magnitude larger than this value. A properly gradedjunction of this type increases photogenerated carrier lifetimes andthus increases the number of carrier pairs which diffuse to and areseparated by the junction field prior to recombining.

With junction concentration gradients, a, of the order of 10⁴ impuritiesper cubic centimeter per micron or less, carrier lifetimes greater thanabout 10 microseconds are possible. Such enhanced carrier lifetimesprovide significant improvements in the long wavelength, i.e. infrared,response of the cell. This is particularly important in solarapplications, as a significant fraction of solar radiation isconcentrated in the infrared and near infrared portions of theelectromagnetic spectrum. The enhanced carrier lifetimes also minimizethe likelihood of voltage saturation of each diode at high illuminationintensities.

Diffusion has been found to be the preferred technique for formingjunctions with the desired concentration gradient characteristics. If,in diffusion, the surface concentration of a diffusant is N_(o)impurities per cubic centimeter, then the concentration N at a depth Xbelow the diffused surface is given by ##EQU1## where D is the diffusionconstant of the impurity at the diffusion temperature, and t is thediffusion time. The concentration gradient, a, at the junction where Napproaches the impurity level of the base region of the diode is thengiven by ##EQU2## where X_(j) is the junction depth below the diffusedsurface. As noted, the optimum concentration gradient, a, in thevicinity of the junction is 10⁴ impurities per cubic centimeter permicron or less.

The desired junction concentration gradient, a, for each diode can beachieved by controlling the diffusion parameters of time t andtemperature T to produce a deep and gradual diffusion profile. Withsilicon starting materials of thicknesses in the range of about 5-10mils, preferable results are obtained with diffusion times in the rangeof about 10 to 50 hours and diffusion temperatures in the range of about1200° to 1300° Centigrade.

D. Base Region Thickness

The thickness of the base region in each diode of our cell is selectedto be as small as possible and always less than one diffusion length fora minority carrier in that region. A thin base region ensures a lowseries resistance, reduces internal heating, and thus improves theelectrical power output from the cell. A base region thickness less thanone diffusion length is important to minimize the likelihood ofphotogenerated carrier recombination in the base region. Carriers whichrecombine in the base region of the diode contribute nothing to theoutput of the cell.

A typical value for the minority carrier diffusion length in the baseregion is about 100 microns. Thus, base region thicknesses less than 100microns, and preferably as small as 25 to 50 microns are employed.

E. Junction Orientation

The diodes in our cell are sliced and stacked so that the junctionstherein are inclined at a small angle relative to the direction ofillumination, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2. In a conventionalphotovoltaic cell, the diode is illuminated along a direction normal tothe plane of its junction, while in the edge-illuminated,multiple-junction photovoltaic cell discussed above on page 4 hereof,the diodes were illuminated along a direction parallel to the junctionstherein. We have found that improved results are obtained by orientingthe junctions in our cell so that the incident radiation deviates fromparallel to the junctions by a small angle. The direction of thedeviation is selected so that the lower doped base region in each diodehas a larger surface area exposed to the radiation than the more heavilydoped p region on the opposite side of the junction. Preferably, thedeviation angle is in the range of about 5° to 20°.

Inclining the junctions in our cell in this manner ensures that asignificant junction area is exposed to the incident radiation and atthe same time gives rise to a diode geometry which allows increasedspreading of the junction depletion layer at high illuminationintensities without suffering voltage saturation.

The depletion layer boundaries at maximum open circuit voltage V_(oc)for the p and n regions of the diode 10 are indicated by thedashed-dotted lines 38 and 40, respectively, in FIG. 2. As indicated inFIG. 2, depletion spread in the lower doped base region is greater thanthe depletion spread in the more heavily doped p region. Also, thedepletion spread in both regions increases as the exposed surface of thediode is approached due to the larger photogenerated carrierconcentrations near the surface. Voltage saturation occurs when thedepletion spread w_(n) becomes large enough to extend across the baseregion and to approach the boundary 36 of the n⁺ region in the diode. Byinclining the junction 10A as indicated in FIG. 2, more space isprovided for depeletion layer spreading near the exposed surface. Thisallows our cell to operate at higher illumination intensities withoutexperiencing voltage saturation. It also allows the use of a thinnerbase region.

F. Surface Reflectivity

The exposed surface of the cell is treated to minimize reflectivity atthe surface. The photogenerated voltage in each diode of the cell is afunction of the number of photons of the proper wavelength capturedtherein. Thus, texturizing the surface so as to make it more diffuseincreases the probability of photon capture within each diode. Thetechnique for texturizing the surface, however, should be such that itdoes not increase the surface recombination velocities. One suchtechnique is to abrade the surface ultrasonically using an ultrasoniccutting tool which provides a matrix of rounded surface pyramids, thebase edges of which are approximately equal to the overall diodethickness. With such a surface configuration, some of the incidentradiation that is normally lost due to reflection strikes an adjacentpyramid where it is refracted and absorbed within the cell. A surfaceconfiguration of the type described is capable of reducing the surfacereflectivity of the cell by at least 50 percent. Further reductions inthe reflectivity may be achieved by sputtering onto the texturizedsurface of the cell a transparent anti-reflection coating having anindex of refraction between that of the semiconductor material and air.An anti-reflection coating of this type also serves to passivate thesurface.

G. Surface Recombination Velocities

The exposed surfaces of the cell are also treated to reduce surfacerecombination velocities. This is achieved by subjecting the surfaces toa "slow" etch which renders the surface hydrophobic.

The open circuit voltage V_(oc) relates to the photogenerated currentand saturation current of each diode as follows:

    V.sub.oc ˜ log (Ip/Io)                               (3)

wherein I_(p) represents the photogenerated current in the diode andI_(o) represents the saturation current. The saturation current I_(o) isin turn a strong function of the recombination velocities in the baseregion and at the exposed surface. Untreated surfaces typically havesurface recombination velocities of the order of 10³ centimeters persecond. At that level, the saturation current I_(o) is sufficientlylarge to reduce the open circuit voltage and the conversion efficiencyof the diode considerably.

By rendering the exposed surface hydrophobic, however, recombinationvelocities can be reduced by at least an order of magnitude to 10²centimeters per second. This results in material improvements in theopen circuit voltage and conversion efficiency of each diode.

H. Wavelength Band of Incident Radiation

The radiant energy to which the cell is exposed is filtered to pass thewavelength range of about 5000 to 10,000 Angstroms. Wavelengths shorterthan 5000 Angstroms cause excessive heating of the cell. In general, asis known, a hotter cell operates less efficiently than a cooler cell.Also, silicon, the most likely semiconductor material for the cell, doesnot respond to wavelengths greater than about 10,000 Angstroms. Aconvenient way to provide the desired filtering of incident radiation isto color the plano-convex lens 28 (FIG. 1) by coating or doping it withan appropriate material or materials which reflect wavelengths outsidethe desired range.

3. Illustrative Fabrication Method

An illustrative method for fabricating the photovoltaic cell shown inFIG. 1 is described below, with reference being made to FIG. 3 of thedrawings. The various illustrations in FIG. 3 are not necessarily drawnto proportion or relative dimensions.

As indicated in FIG. 3A, we start with a single crystal 50 of n-typesilicon. The crystal is grown using the float-zone growth techniquedescribed in the above-cited Journal of Applied Physics article.Preferably, the defect density of the starting crystal is less thanabout 1000 E.P. per square centimeter. As grown, the crystal is selectedto have an n-type carrier concentration of the order of 10¹³ atoms percubic centimeter (cm³) and a resistivity of 250 ohm-cm.

The crystal is next sawed into thin wafers using a conventional diamondsaw. One such wafer 52 is shown in FIG. 3B. Each wafer 52 is lappedusing an abrasive lapping compound to a thickness of about 5 mils and isthen cleaned in a solution consisting of 50% hydrogen peroxide and 50%ammonium hydroxide. Alternatively, the wafers 52 are etched to the 5 milthickness in a solution consisting of 84% nitric acid and 16%hydrofluoric acid.

A layer 54 of a donor-containing compound, such as ammonium phosphate,is deposited on one end face of the wafer and allowed to dry. A layer 56of an acceptor-containing compound such as boron oxide, is depsoited onthe opposite end face of the wafer and also allowed to dry. These layersmay be sprayed or spun onto the wafer 52 using conventional techniques.An alternative approach is to deposit the donor and acceptor layers 54and 56 on the wafer by exposing the respective end faces of the wafer togaseous atmospheres containing the appropriate impurities.

A coated wafer is shown in FIG. 3C. The donor and acceptorconcentrations in the donor and acceptor layers 54 and 56, respectively,are each of the order of 10²¹ atoms per cm³. The thicknesses of the twolayers are sufficiently large for both layers to be considered aninfinite source of the impurities.

The coated wafers are then placed on edge in a quartz carrier, or boat,and heated for 25 hours at 1200° Centigrade. The wafers are then "slow"cooled at a rate of about 200° Centigrade per hour. After this process,the wafers have their opposite end faces converted to low resistivityn-and p-type conductivity silicon. With the above-noted diffusionparameters and wafer thickness (5 mils), the p-n junction in each waferis about 50 microns below the p-diffused end face. The base region ofthe wafer has a thickness of about 25 microns. The concentrationgradient, a, in the vicinity of the junction is about 10⁴ impurities percm³ per micron.

The next step in the process is to remove the excess boron andphosphorous glass which has formed on the end faces of the wafers duringdiffusion. This is accomplished by bombarding the wafers with a steadystream of 27.5 micron aluminum oxide particles or by etching the wafersfor a period of 10 minutes in a 10% KOH solution at about 90° C.

Discs 58 of the same diameter as the silicon wafers are then cut from a1 mil thick sheet of a 99% silver and 1% aluminum alloy. The smallpercentage of aluminum in the alloy improves the ohmic contact of thesediscs to the semiconductor of the wafers. To insure cleanliness, themetal discs are dipped for 30 seconds in 20% nitric acid solution,rinsed and dried.

Alternative layers of silicon wafers 52 and metal discs 58 are thenstacked as indicated in FIG. 3D. The silicon wafers 52 are dipped inisopropyl alcohol prior to stacking to insure cleanliness. The wafers 52are oriented in the stack so that the p and n⁺ conductivity regionstherein all face in the same direction. A flat carbon plate 60 is thenplaced on the top and bottom of the stack. The stack is pressed togetherby a stainless steel weight 62. The carbon plates 60 shield the stackfrom the weight 62 and the surface upon which the stack rests duringfusion.

The stack is next placed in forming gas atmosphere and heated to atemperature of 900° C for a period of 10 minutes. The various componentsof the stack are thus fused together. The number of silicon wavers 52 inthe stack is limited only by the technique used below for slicing thinslabs from the stack. Good results are obtained using 16 silicon wafersin each stack.

As shown in FIG. 3E, the carbon plates 60 and weight 62 are removed andthe fused stack is waxed to a glass plate 64, the upper surface of whichis inclined at an angle of about 10 degrees from horizontal. As aresult, the junctions in each wafer are also inclined at 10° fromhorizontal. The stack is then cut through along vertical planes toproduce a plurality of slabs 66, each of which is about 40 mils inthickness. A diamond saw or a slurry saw may be used for this purpose.The edges of the stack are also cut through so that the slabs 66 arerectangles. The slabs 66 are removed from the glass plate by dissolvingthe wax layer in an alcohol bath. One slab 66 is shown in FIG. 3F. Eachone of the slabs 66 can now be fabricated into an individual cell.

The next step in the method is to identify which one of the two opposedmajor transverse surfaces of each slab 66 is to be exposed to theincident radiation. The exposed surface selection is important becauseof the inclined cutting of the junctions in the diodes of each slab. Ifa slab 66 is viewed along a normal to one of its two major transversesurfaces, the junctions in the diodes therein are inclined such thatmore surface area of the n-type base region is exposed than of thep-type region. If, on the other hand, the slab 66 is viewed along anormal to the other of the two major transverse surfaces, more surfacearea of the p-type region is exposed than of the n-type region. Thesurface to be exposed to incident radiation is the former one, that is,the one which maximizes the exposed n-type base region surface arearather than the p-type region. That surface is thus labeled or otherwiseidentified as the "top" surface of the slab 66.

The "top" surface 68 of a slab 66 is next treated to reduce itsreflectivity. This is accomplished by ultrasonically cutting thatsurface to form thereon a matrix of rounded surface pyramids. One suchtreated slab 66 is illustrated in FIG. 3G. After this treatment, the"top" surface of the slab 66 has a texture similar to that of a wornfile. The base edges of each surface pyramid is selected to beapproximately equal to the initial wafer thickness (e.g. 5 mils).Ultrasonic cutting techniques and tools useful for this purpose are wellknown in the semiconductor fabrication art.

An alternative is to roughen all surfaces of the slab 66 to reducereflectivity by soaking the slab for a period of 15 minutes in an "OH"etch solution such as an Oakite 190 solution at a temperature of 90° C.Oakite 190 is available from Oakite Products, Inc. of Berkeley Heights,New Jersey.

The surfaces of the slab 66 are next treated to reduce surfacerecombination velocities. This is accomplished by subjecting the slab toa "slow" etch solution, such as a solution consisting of 75% nitric acid12.5% hydroflouric acid and 12.5% sulphuric acid, for a period of 5minutes. The slab is then rinsed, dipped for a period of two minutes innitric acid and then quenched in an alcohol bath. The surfaces of theslab 66 are thereby made hydrophobic. A treatment of this type reducessurface recombination velocities by about an order of magnitude.

Electrical leads 16 (also shown in FIG. 1) may now be soldered to theends of the slab 66. The leads 16 may be of silver or annealed copper.The slab 66 next is protected with a thin (e.g. several thousandAngstroms thick) coating 18 (also shown in FIG. 1) of silicone varnish.As an alternative, the coating 18 may consist of an oxide of tantalum,titanium or silicon which is deposited on the slab 66 by means of asputter technique. A third approach is to deposit the thin coating 18from glass. By choosing the index of refraction of the coating 18 to beapproximately 2.0 to 3.0, an effective anti-reflection coating isprovided. This coating 18 also serves to passivate the surfaces of theslab 66.

As indicated in FIG. 3H, the transverse surface of the slab 66 oppositeto the "top" surface 68 can now be mounted to a substrate 22 (also shownin FIG. 2). A layer 24 (also shown in FIG. 2) of a thermally conductive,electrically insulative adhesive, such as an epoxy, is used for thispurpose.

The protective coating 18 over the "top" surface of the slab 66 may nowbe covered with a plastic plano-convex lens layer 28 (FIG. 1). The focallength of each convex portion of the lens 28 is selected so that itconcentrates incident radiation at the regions of the junctions in thewafers. The transmission characteristics of the plastic lens arecontrolled so that it acts as a bandpass filter for wavelengths in therange of about 5000 to 10,000 Angstroms. This is accomplished by coatingor doping the plastic material of the lens 28 with materials reflectiveto wavelengths outside that range. For example, the lens 28 may be madeof a plastic such as polymethylmethacrylate which is treated with ananiline dye such as cyanine which increases its transmission coefficientfor red wavelengths and decreases its transmission coefficient for bluewavelengths.

We fabricated a number of photovoltaic cells using the above-describedillustrative method. The cells did not include the plano-convex lenslayer 28 shown in FIG. 1, nor was the radiation made incident on thecells filtered to the preferred wavelength range. These cells weretested under exposure to various solar intensities and the power outputstherefrom compared to similar results from a conventional, normallyilluminated photovoltaic cell. The results are summarized below.

    ______________________________________                                                     Output Power                                                     Solar Intensity                                                                            (milliwatts/cm.sup.2)                                            (AMO's)      Our cell    Conventional cell                                    ______________________________________                                        0.5          5           10                                                   1.0          10          15                                                   5.0          80          50                                                   10.0         100         60                                                   20.0         120         80                                                   50.0         160                                                              100.0        1000                                                             150.0        1200        --                                                   ______________________________________                                    

The results demonstrated the superior performance of our cell under highintensity applications.

4. Conclusion

In summary, therefore, we have described a photovoltaic cell whichpossesses significant performance advantages over conventionalphotovoltaic cells, particularly in high illumination intensityapplications. The conversion efficiency of a cell embodied according toour invention is optimized by imposing various conditions on thefabrication and design of the cell. These conditions can be incorporatedinto our cells without unduly complicating or adding to the cost of cellfabrication. Our cells are expecially attractive for use with solarradiation, and, unlike conventional cells, permit the use of large solarradiation concentration factors. With all of these advantages, our cellsare useful in various energy conversion systems, and particularly interrestrial solar-power-generating systems.

It should be understood that the above description is intended toillustrate, but not limit, our invention. Numerous variations andmodifications of the above-described embodiments will be recognized aspossible by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope ofour invention. The specific materials, dimensions and other parametersmentioned above are illustrative only, and may be varied in anyparticular embodiment. For example, p-type silicon or any other suitablesemiconductor may be used as the starting material for the cell. Dopantsother than boron and phosphorous may be used. Although diffusion hasbeen discussed exclusively above, other techniques may be found usefulin the fabrication of the cells, such as epitaxial growth techniques orion bombardment. The electrically conductive interface layers 12 andcontact layers 14 need not be metallic conductors, but can bemonocrystalline or polycrysalline semiconductors of low resistivity.Also, in place of, or in addition to, the plano-convex lens concentratormentioned above, a mirror arrangement may be used to provide or improvethe desired radiation concentration factors at the cell.

Furthermore, it should be noted that a power generating system typicallycombines a large number of the cells described above. These cells can bemounted on a common substrate and heat sink and interconnected in seriesand/or parallel, using conventional electrical interconnectiontechniques, to provide a useful output of the desired form.

Hence, we believe that these and other modifications are clearly withinthe time, spirit and scope of the invention, and it is the object of theappended claims to cover all such modifications.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of theUnited States is:
 1. A photovoltaic energy converter for convertingincident radiant energy to electrical energy comprisingA. an incidentradiant energy responsive slab includingi. a plurality of wafers ofsemiconductive material of a first conductivity type, each said waferincludinga. first and second opposed end faces, b. a first region belowthe first end face having a net impurity concentration of a secondconductivity type, c. a second region below the second end face having anet impurity concentration of the first conductivity type greater thanthe concentration in d. a base region located between said first andsecond regions, and e. a photovoltaic junction separating said first andbase regions, ii. a plurality of electrically conductive layers, iii.said wafers and said conductive layers being stacked in alternate layersand fused together to form said slab, the first region in each saidwafers being directed toward the same end of said slab, and iv. lowerand upper opposed transverse surfaces, said photovoltaic junction ineach said wafer being inclined toward the second region thereof at anangle deviating from a normal to said upper surface such that whenviewed through said upper surface more of the base region and less ofthe first region is exposed in each said wafer, said inclined junctionallowing increased spreading of the junction depletion layer at andbelow said upper surface upon illumination of said upper surface withradiant energy; B. a support substrate; C. means for mounting said slabon said substrate so that the lower transverse surface thereof isadjacent said substrate, said slab being positioned on said substratefor exposure to the incident radiant energy along a directionessentially normal to the upper transverse surface of said slab; and D.electrical contact means contacting opposed ends of said slab.
 2. Aphotovoltaic energy converter as recited in claim 1 in which thesemiconductive material of said base region of each said wafer has aresistivity in the range of about 200 to 400 ohm-centimeters.
 3. Aphotovoltage energy converter as recited in claim 1 in which said baseregion in each said wafer has a thickness substantially less than eachof said first and second regions.
 4. A photovoltaic energy converter asrecited in claim 1 in which the said semiconductive material of saidwafers is silicon.
 5. A photovoltaic energy converter as recited inclaim 1 in which said conductive layers consist essentially of 99percent silver and one percent aluminum.
 6. A photovoltaic energyconverter as recited in claim 1 in which the plurality of said waferscomprises sixteen.
 7. A photovoltaic energy converter as recited inclaim 1 in which the angle at which the photovoltaic junction in eachsaid wafer deviates from a normal to said upper surface is in the rangeof about 5° to 20°.
 8. A photovoltaic energy converter as recited inclaim 7 in which the angle is about 10°.
 9. A photovoltaic energyconverter as recited in claim 1 in which the upper transverse surface ofsaid slab includes a matrix of rounded surface pyramids to reducereflectivity of the incident radiant energy, said surface pyramidshaving base edges comparable to the thickness of each said wafers.
 10. Aphotovoltaic energy converter as recited in claim 1 further includingE.an anti-reflection coating comprising a coating of transparent materialdeposited on at least said upper surface of said slab, said coatinghaving an index of refraction intermediate to that of the semiconductivematerial of said wafers and air.
 11. A photovoltaic energy converter asrecited in claim 1 further includingF. a plano-convex lens radiationconcentrator covering said upper transverse surface of said slab, saidradiation concentration having a focal length such that it concentratesthe incident radiant energy at the region of the junction in each saidwafer.
 12. A photovoltaic energy converter as recited in claim 11 inwhich said radiation concentrator is preferentially transmissive toenergy having wavelengths within the range of about 5,000 to 10,000Angstroms.